A dessert and hot food shop in Plaistow has been granted a licence to serve late-night refreshments until 4:00 AM, despite objections from local residents and a business owner.

Sweets Town, a dessert and hot food establishment, at night with neon signage and parked scooters.
Sweets Town, a dessert and hot food establishment, at night with neon signage and parked scooters.

Sweets Town, located at 594 Barking Road, received the new premises licence from Newham Council's Licensing (2003 Act) Sub-Committee on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The licence permits the sale of late-night refreshments from 11:00 PM to 4:00 AM seven days a week, with the premises open during these hours.

The decision followed an application by Sweets Town Plaistow Ltd, which faced objections from local residents and a business owner. Concerns were raised about potential increases in crime, disorder, and public nuisance, including noise, litter, and pavement obstruction due to late-night operations. Objectors also questioned the need for a burger and dessert takeaway to operate so late in a residential area, noting that other outlets were already open until 2:00 AM and McDonald's opened at 6:00 AM.

Sweets Town will be serving a variety of hot food, including fresh beef smash burgers, wings, wraps, kebabs, and fries, as well as meal deal combos. This offering differs from their dessert menu, which features dessert cakes, cheesecake variety of cheesecake, brownie, cookie dough, waffles, waffle balls, and apple crumbles.

Yaseen Feroz, the owner of Sweets Town, highlighted his 20 years of experience in retail and assured the committee that the business would employ its own drivers, primarily using cars, to mitigate noise issues. To address concerns about litter and pavement obstruction, Sweets Town stated they would personally walk outside the shop to make sure the presentation is clear. They also have a contract with the council for waste collection, will provide additional bins if needed, and will personally wash the bins weekly. Furthermore, staff will periodically monitor the immediate vicinity of the premises to discourage loitering and ensure customers disperse promptly after purchasing food. Delivery drivers will be instructed not to congregate outside the premises and to keep engines off when waiting.

A street view at night shows
A street view at night shows "Sweets Town" with neon signage, a delivery scooter, and a bicycle parked outside.

The committee noted that the premises had previously operated under Temporary Event Notices1 without any reported issues. During this period, no objections raised by responsible authorities and no recorded incidences, ASB, crime, noise, complaints linked to these tens. None at all.

Parties involved have the right to appeal the decision to the Magistrates' Court within 21 days. The full committee report can be found in the Public reports pack 29th-Apr-2026 10.00 Licensing 2003 Act Sub-Committee.

  1. Temporary Event Notices (TENs) are a way to license small, temporary events involving music, dancing, regulated entertainment, or the supply of alcohol. Licensing procedure ↩